War of Trade 1812

Impressments

 

In time of war The British Royal Navy had been, for years, using recruitment methods of a dubious nature.  Employing both tricks and violence the use of press gangs or Impressments, had been upheld in English courts, because they where vital to the safety of the Nation.

 

Most readers may know that the mugs you occasionally see with glass bottoms are in response to the British pressgangs practice of buying a seaman a drink at the local pub.


Unknowingly the seaman would drink up only to find a coin in the bottom, those sober enough must have thought “dam I’ve joined the British Royal navy”. The glass bottom offered the seaman a chance to insure he was just accepting a drink, not joining the navy.
 
 

These methods where made necessary, in part, because life as a British Seaman was often cruel and dangerous, a seaman’s life aboard a British ship of war was barley tolerable for those who had chosen it of their own free will, much more difficult to endure if you had been pressed into service. I relate the following story to demonstrate just how intolerable this life was.

 

 An American vessel was boarded by an English ship of war, after a search the Captain was informed that one of his crew was a deserter from the Royal Navy and that he must be surrendered. Having no choice the Captain ordered the man in question to present himself to the British officer. On his way to do so the seaman past a barrel, on top of this barrel there laid a hatchet as he past he picked up the hatchet and with one quick motion severed his right hand at the wrist. He presented himself to the British officer bleeding and maimed. Said officer then retreated leaving the seaman where he stood. 

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